I’m starting the blog back up. It’s been a while but I’m looking for a place to share my ramblings, thoughts, anxieties, photos of travels, observations about Chicago, and anything else I want to put here. Read it or don’t, because I’m blogging again!

Two days! I’m home in two days! I really can’t believe how quickly these last three weeks have gone. I will, of course, sacrifice a few pain au chocolat and a lamb (well-cooked, with some thyme) to the volcano god Eyjafjallajoekull in hopes that I will be permitted to depart.

The initial disappointment of my mom not being able to come was hard, but I was able to visit Paris a lot and get in everything that I wanted to before I left. I even PACKED a week early.

I’ve done so much in the last three weeks, visited Marseille, Giverny, had tons of picnics in parks, went to the Louvre, shopped for gifts, said my goodbyes, was rejected from grad school AND a job, threw away a ton of clothes, had two concerts, ate dinner in the Eiffel Tower… I will try to remember to write a post about all of those things, perhaps I will do an infodump once I get home – I’ll have lots of time on my hands then…

I am truly grateful to everyone who has helped me this year. It’s certainly been difficult, frustrating, and amazing. In spite of the frustrations and the uncertainty I face once I come home, I have no regrets about my decision to pack up and move to France for nine months.

Thank you for listening to me ramble these last months, even though it’s probably a bit dull – this has been a great outlet for me.

Easter weekend my landlady, Annie, very graciously invited me, Sandra, and Corinne to her house in the Loire valley. I was really excited, because I was going to get to see more of the French countryside, which is always ridiculously adorable, and because OMG CASTLES!!! Read More…

Very late post about the 2nd half of vacation, since last week was crazy (good news: finally submitted grad school application! now for the waiting…)

Matt! at Versailles

Having two weeks of vacation is a blessing and a curse. It’s long enough to both leave and have a proper vacation, and to relax back home. It’s also just long enough for it to take a really long time to get back into the swing of things at work. Read More…

First thing’s first: Prague is possibly the most beautiful city I have ever seen. Holy crap. Everywhere, it’s gorgeous! I stepped onto the bridge near my hostel on the first day and just gasped. There really isn’t anything to say about it but wow.

This weekend was one of the best in a while. It started with S and me trying yet again to go to the top of Notre-Dame, but failing because they were closed for ice (putain, il caille!!). Instead, we spent a nice hour in the Musee de Cluny nearby.

Then, there was the party! It was a costume party, where you came dressed as famous couples, or groups of people. I only knew the host, so I threw caution to the wind, pulled out a pair of my nicest boxers and a big white shirt, and dressed myself as Tom Cruise in Risky Business. The Americans at the party thought it was hilarious, but none of the French knew who I was. One girl guessed it, but didn’t know the name of the movie. Read More…